Why is holly associated with Christmas?

        Holly has been used traditionally in houses and churches at Christmastime for decorative purposes. It was originally called the holy tree. The word holly may have come from this name. Holly is the common name for a group of shrubs and small trees. The two best-known hollies, the American holly and the English holly, are evergreens. These two hollies have glossy green leaves and red berries and are used to make attractive Christmas wreaths. Holly wood is very hard and has a close grain It used for making musical instruments, furniture and in interior decoration. The inner bark yields the sticky material called birdlime. The leaves of a South American species are used to make a tea-like drink called mate.

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